Favorite Quotes and Verses

My head can't keep a giant log of quotes and verses so I write everything down. I started doing this after a homily from Fr. Qui-Thac Nguyen, from Sacred Heart Bellingham, inspired the congregation to take notes during homilies so one can reflect at home. (People take notes in school and study at home for better scholastic performance so why not take notes in mass to study at home for the enhancement one's faith and the way in which they live it?) Patrick heeded the words of wisdom by utilizing the envelopes in the pews provided for the offertory to write notes down when he felt the need, but I didn't. I guess I just figured I'd remember that awesome remark or inspiring thought. But I didn't. I also noticed my memory slipping when it came to certain things I wanted to remember from books I read. It was frustrating to thumb through page after page to find the sentence buried deep within a paragraph. So, finally I took Fr. Qui-Thac's advice by writing things down. I enjoy reading through my notebook and finding new meaning in what I've written. Granted there are only a few pages, those pages are full of thought and reflection. And now, I'd like to share a few that I've written down:

Do not abandon old friends,

for new ones cannot equal them.
A new friend is like wine,
when it has aged, you can drink it with pleasure.
Sirach 9:10


Its fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree,
so a person's speech discloses the cultivation of his mind.
Sirach 27:4-7


God's ways are not always life-changing in the way we want but rather in the way we need.


But lay up your treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor moth doth consume and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure rests, there is thy heart also.
Matthew 6:16-21


It is not so easy to get my way this time; next time let God have His way. Having my way this time means that next time it will be even more difficult for me to give God His way.
"The Year and Our Children" pg. 148-149


Grace is the invisible ingredient in all struggles for perfection.
"The Year and Our Children" pg. 158


If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?
"Evan Almighty" Quoted by Morgan Freeman


Sacrifice is part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to. Little sacrifices. Big sacrifices. A mother works so her son can go to school. A daughter moves home to take care of her sick father. Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really loosing it. You're just passing it on to someone else.
"The Five People You Meet in Heaven", Mitch Albom, pg. 94


Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them - amother's approval, a father's nod - are covered by moments of theuir own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that the children inderstand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.
"The Five People You Meet in Heaven" Mitch Albom, pg. 126


The past is my teacher, the present is my test, and the future is my reward. 
Van Council


For your spirit to be healthy, you must exercise it. 
Fr. Qui- Thac Nguyen


It's not about the ability, it's about the effort. 
Fr. Qui-Thac Nguyen


Love will make you beautiful. 
The Afters


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My notebook continues to grow with quotes and verses as does Patrick's. I suggest writing anything and everything down that is striking, important, funny, and thoughtful. For you never know when you might need a pick me up or something to meditate on. The words above have new meaning every time I read them and they are a good reminder of Who is truly in control and how to love like Him.


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Miles' favorite TV show, Sesame Street, and in particular, Elmo.

Miles' brand new pearly whites. Man, those things are sharper than shark teeth!

Happiness is...

... the sweet smell of summer, especially after the sun goes down and everything settles and starts to cool from the heat of the day. Is there any way to bottle this scent?

... watching Miles scratch at the grass, his new favorite toy.

... discipleship with other mothers.

... reading in bed with Patrick. The togetherness in silence with words running through our heads relaxes me to my core.

... laughing, at anything, everything, and of course a baby that starfishes out in the air while being tossed above daddy's head.

... the feeling of running again. Well, maybe the feeling after running because after 1 year of idleness the feat of running is strenuous and painful. Sore legs never felt so good.

... completing row after row of a knitted blanket. It is so satisfying to see it grow with every turn of the fabric.

Our walk down by the pier. Miles was a lot happier than the picture lets on.

First day of summer. Yes it was.

I watched clouds drift by in the light breeze while Miles jumped and jumped. He loves the grass beneath his feet. The first 15 minutes we were out there he just starred. It was as if he couldn't figure something out. He knew his jumper and he knew the backyard, but not together. But when he figure it out, my how he smiled.

Frog Man

Guess who got his first teeth? Yup, little frog man got two brand new bottom teeth at the end of May. Now, when he chews on my finger or shoulder, it hurts!! He doesn't look like a little baby to me anymore. We're working on crawling too, but I think it'll be a while until he can make those first coordinated moves.

Bath time baby

Miles and Family

Apart from the joy I get from loving on Miles myself I get so much joy from seeing family love on Miles. It's great to see him interact with others and get to know his family and how much they love him. By loving him you are loving me.